


3. Filled

by Aaymeirah



Series: The trouble with talking books [3]
Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Banter, Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, Gen, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Power of Words, Talking Books
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:47:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23010445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaymeirah/pseuds/Aaymeirah
Summary: Cassandra goes off by herself to explore the Library for interesting artifacts.A talking book puts her in a situation she can't refuse.Turns out there are actually consequences for letting a talking book fill itself up with stories.
Relationships: Eve Baird/Flynn Carsen, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: The trouble with talking books [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647235
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6
Collections: Purimgifts 2020





	3. Filled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iceshade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceshade/gifts).



“Ezekiel, shut up!” rasped Cassandra from where she was curled up in a chair.

“What?” He finally looked up from the animated argument he was having with the book, he had finally met someone who was just as egotistical as him, and it obviously bothered him.

“You’re making me lose my voice,” she said, “remember whatever book me does happens to the real me? You’ve been talking and talking nonstop and now my voice is tired.”

“Oops.” At least, she thought, he had the grace to look ashamed.

“The book is nearly full,” Jake pointed out, grabbing it from Ezekiel and rifling through the pages.

“Good, I’ll be glad to be rid of you,” said Cassandra, coughing, and pointing at the book.

“Geez, so rude,” book her sneered.

The Back Door flared to life.

“Act naturally everyone!” Cassandra yelled hoarsely. Ezekiel picked up the nearest book. Jake moved back with the talking book.

“Hold on, give it to me, it has my face after all,” said Cassandra.

“But-” Jake protested.

Eve Baird and Flynn Carsen tripped through, hand in hand.

“Uh- did you have a nice date?” Cassandra asked, becoming aware that she and Jake were still pulling the book in opposite directions.

“As a matter of fact we did,” Eve said, giving Flynn a pleased look. He in turn, preened as he knew that some of their dates were touch and go depending on whether someone was trying to kill them or not.

“How are things here?” Eve asked.

“Peachy,” answered Ezekiel.

“You’re reading a book upside down,”

“New perspective.” While Ezekiel sheepishly turned the book the right way, Cassandra and Jake slowly sat down when he relinquished his hold on the book. She clutched the covers closed.

“Is everything alright?” Flynn asked, picking up on the awkward silence.

“Of course!” said Cassandra. The book was nearly full, no need to get Eve all worried.

“If you say so,” Eve said with a perceptive look before dragging Flynn out of the main room. The three Librarians looked at each other in relief.

“Ooh, drama and mystery. I like it,” the book said when Cassandra cracked it open.

“Because you’re the cause of it?”

“Of course!”

"There's two pages left," Jake said. "You should release her face now."

"Soon, soon, relax."

"So let's fill them up before Baird gets back!" Ezekiel suggested.

"Fine," she replied, voice recovering as she used it herself, sloughing off the side effects of the book's long conversation with Ezekiel. Interesting. Cassandra took a deep breath and began to list off as many prime numbers as it took to fill that book.

"She'll be at this for a while," said Ezekiel to Jake, you want to go see if Jenkins has found anything on the origins of the talking book? Jake looked at Cassandra, talking to the magical artifact. Magic, which would never come to any good.

"Fine."

"So it's just you and me, book," Cassandra said casually when they were alone.

"Like at the beginning."

“Indeed.” Cassandra watched as inked words filled the last blank page before the one that showed her face. Such little space, might as well go to the basics, she thought to herself with a smirk.

“The end.”

The book was full, and it wasn’t talking. Her face stared at her emotionlessly, before a wide smile appeared on it.

“Thank you so much!” The book exclaimed. With a twist and the smell of book bindings, a hand solidified and pulled itself out of the pages, made out of all the words within the book. The top of what looked like her head materialized next, and her face peered at her and winked. The ink and word construct continued to climb out of the book, solidifying. She had to do something, this couldn’t be good. 

“Jenkins!” She doubted the others in the annex would miss this event, but it was still important to get someone here, to tell her how to stop this. Book her stood in front of her, a black and white mimic, clutching the book between its hands. 

“Ah, freedom at last. And you helped me achieve it Cassandra!” It held out it’s hand towards her. Cassandra knew that shaking it’s hand was a bad idea, a really bad idea. 

“Stop this! What do you want?”

“Freedom! Duh. You were so stupid, trusting that all I wanted was a taste of the world outside of a book by getting a story. That’s not enough- I need to experience things first hand. And you’re going to help me take the final step to do so.”

“No I’m not,” Cassandra crossed her arms. The construct laughed and plunged a hand where it’s heart should have been, then squeezed. She fell to the ground with a gasp. 

“Take my hand! Take my place!”

“You won’t kill me,” she wheezed through the clutching pain. 

“I gather power by the moment!” Where were the others?

“Miss Cillian! You have to destroy the book,” yelled Jenkins. 

“You don’t think I’m trying?” From the corner of her eye, she saw Ezekiel sneaking towards the gloating construct. Distraction, right. 

“Why would I want to go into this book? This place you’re so desperate to escape.”

“Because, you can’t bear the pain.” The construct wrenched her heart even more. Black spots danced around the edges of her visions. 

"You underestimate the pain I can bear."

Ezekiel grabbed the book from the construct paying attention to her.

“And the award for best thief goes to me!” he crowed.

“Give that back.”

He tossed it to Cassandra who scrambled to get it. The construct advanced towards her but Jake intercepted it. Destroy the book. How?

Cassandra closed her eyes and despite the pain, let her math powers expand in her mind. If she applied pressure here and here and her- she pulled on the spine and it came apart easily. 

“Damn you!” The construct cried as the words and ink lost their form, swirling and dissipating. All was silent as Cassandra looked at Jenkins, Ezekiel and Jake who were gathering around her in concern. In the distance, Eve and Flynn hurried towards them. 

“I guess we really do give life to the stories within books,” she said wryly. 

Cassandra passed out.

**Author's Note:**

> I may have missed the exact deadline on this one, but it's here. Apologies! Hope you enjoy everything all the same!


End file.
